Three local charities received $15,000 raised by the 12th annual Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic high school basketball
games during a check presentation ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 28.The BBCC games were played at Holmes and Scott high schools in December. The $15,000 raised from corporate sponsorships and gate receipts was donated to the Ruth Lyons Children's Fund, Neediest Kids of All and Chicks & Chucks, a breast cancer awareness group.The classic has now donated more than $143,000 to local charities since its inception in 2001. Basketball games between teams from Kentucky and Ohio became part of the annual fund-raising event in 2003.

The boys teams involved this season were Brossart, Cincinnati Country Day, Cooper, Georgetown, Holmes, Oak Hills, Purcell Marian, Ryle, Scott and Taft. The girls teams were Cooper, Grant County, Oak Hills and Ryle. The express purpose of the BBCC is to instill in young student-athletes the importance of giving back to their community. It is hoped that the skill, teamwork and unselfish play exhibited on the court will be carried over to a life-long habit of helping those who are less fortunate.

Our logo depicts the bringing together of both sides of the Ohio River through high school basketball to benefit the less fortunate. It signifies the united efforts of all our teams and volunteers who are working to make a difference.

BBCC INFORMATION

JOIN THE TEAM: If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for next year's BBCC, contact Dick Murgatroyd at (859) 653-7797 or murgm@zoomtown.com

SLIDE SHOW: Photos 2011 BBCC

Click on the photo above to see a slide show with more than 20 photos taken by John Carrico and Bill Renken during the 2011 BBCC games.

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the mission of the BBCC to instill in our young athletes the importance of giving back to their community whenever and wherever they can.

Our logo depicts the bringing together of both sides of the Ohio River through high school basketball to benefit the less fortunate. It signifies the united efforts of all of our teams and volunteers who are working to make a difference.

It is hoped that the skill, team work and unselfish play exhibited on the court will be carried over to a life-long habit of helping those who are less fortunate.

It is equally important to teach our athletes that they can have fun while at the same time do something very good for those in need.

All of the money raised, after expenses, has gone to the various charities and the participating schools.

Over its 11-year history, this event has raised over $128,000 for local charities. Many needy children have benefited from our efforts throughout this time.

BBCHC HISTORY

The BBCC started in December 2001 with four teams (Covington Catholic, Bishop Brossart, Louisville Trinity and Owensboro Catholic) in the gym at Covington Catholic. It was originally called the Catholic Social Services Classic and benefited Catholic Social Services in Latonia.

In the second year, it expanded to twelve teams and moved to the Thomas More College gym. The proceeds were donated to Catholic Social Services of N. KY as well as C.S.S. of Southwest Ohio since Ohio teams were now part of the event.

In 2003 and 2004, the name was changed to Bluegrass-Buckeye Holiday Classic and the games were played at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University.

In 2003, there were sixteen schools from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky participating in the event. The charity list was expanded to include the Neediest Kids of All and the Ruth Lyons Children’s Fund. This change was made because of the area-wide appeal of these charities to ALL members of the community who were supporting the event.

From 2005 to 2010, the games were played at two sites on the campus of Northern Kentucky University. Regents Hall was the site from 2005 to 2007 and Bank of Kentucky Center hosted the event from 2008 to 2010. The charity list over the those six years included NKOA, Ruth Lyons Children’s Fund, Queen City Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, WSNS Academy and Chicks & Chucks, a breast cancer awareness organization.

The 2011 BBCC was played on Jan. 14 and renamed the Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic since it was not played during the holidays. To make the classic more accessible for fans, games were played at high schools in both states -- Dixie Heights High School in Kentucky and Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati.

Last season, the classic returned to Thomas More College and proceeds were donated to the Ruth Lyons Children's Fund, Neediest Kids of All and Chicks & Chucks.